Delhi’s Jesse Flores makes heavyweight history at CIF state wrestling

When the history of Delhi High School eventually is told, it should reserve a chapter for Jesse Flores.

He’s a junior, which means the full magnitude of his accomplishment probably won’t hit him for a few years. Eventually, he’ll smile over the memories.

“I’ve wrestled since I was 6,” Flores said. “It was always a dream to get here.”

“Here” is Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena, headquarters for the 44th annual CIF State Wrestling Championships. Flores, a heavyweight, became the first athlete in Delhi’s 15-year school history to qualify for a state competition in any sport.

And, as the archives will note, he punctuated the landmark feat by earning a seventh-place medal Saturday.

Flores (23-4) more than held his own against the state’s best. He went 5-2 and closed with two takedowns to defeat Nic Iversen of Ukiah 5-2 for seventh. A second-round loss via pin to Clovis’ Seth Nevills, the returning champion who went on to win his second title in a row, didn’t sap Flores’ spirit.

Flores rallied with three straight wins in consolation. None was more important than a 3-2 decision over Jackson Serna of Northview-Covina in Saturday morning’s pressurized “blood round,” where winners clinch medals and losers are eliminated.

Delhi principal Vincent Gonzalez, watching in the seats, no doubt admired Flores’ performance. So did family and friends who greeted him after his final match.

Not many wrestlers in this pressure-cooker event are grinning when they’re done. That critical consolation round became a brick wall for seniors Brandon Mendoza of Buhach Colony and Adrian Marrufo of Dos Palos.

Mendoza, a Sac-Joaquin Section Masters finalist (113 pounds), survived the first day with four straight consolation wins – including a 4-2 decision over Jake Abeyta of Oakdale – after a first-round loss. Mendoza needed one more, however, but was pinned in the second round by Enrique Landeros of Orland.

Marrufo (126), a three-time state qualifier, bounced back from a loss in his first match with four victories but was taken down in the final seconds by Oakdale freshman Ricky Torres in a painful 3-1 loss. Torres eventually placed eighth.

One of the most pleasing aspects of Flores’ feat is that he’s not finished.

“I’ll approach next year with more energy than ever,” he said. “It will be my last year as a Delhi Hawk.”

A Delhi Hawk who will be remembered.

This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Delhi’s Jesse Flores makes heavyweight history at CIF state wrestling."